Your Old Droog

Coney Island-based rapper Your Old Droog came to national attention with the low-key online release of a stellar self-titled EP in April of 2014. The MC's raspy voice, effortless flow, and distinctively East Coast style led to great debate and speculation that Your Old Droog was actually an alias for rap legend Nas, releasing tracks under the radar and outside of any record label contracts. Lyrical references to various Nas-related topics in the tracks supported this idea, but as internet speculation grew, Your Old Droog was eventually confirmed to be not Nas, but a Ukraine-born, New York-bred rapper in his twenties. He had previously worked under the moniker Invisible Droog and had extensive production assistance from DJ Skizz. The ten tracks from the EP were expanded with eight additional cuts for a self-titled full-length released before the end of 2014. Kinison, featuring tracks named after Porno for Pyros, Sonic Youth, and Rage Against the Machine, amid an assortment of other '90s pop culture references, as well as The Nicest, followed in 2015. They led to the March 2017 release of the full-length Packs, on which Droog's strutting confidence and witty wordplay was complemented by appearances from Danny Brown and Heems. ~ Fred Thomas & Andy Kellman